Mitt Romney for Secretary of State
BY MICHAEL MORONEY '23
Joe Biden will be announcing his choice for the Secretary of State in the next couple of days. The Secretary of State serves as the president's primary advisor on US foreign affairs, and they imposes orders and acts on other countries, relaying US foreign economic interests to the president and the US public sector. The state of the national economy and the GDP is an ongoing concern for many Americans, as the constant changes in the stock market and economy directly impact them. Historically, Republicans are more involved in economic affairs, and having an individual focused on the economy would be an asset. Thus, choosing a Republican to manage US foreign economic and humanitarian affairs would be more advantageous than choosing a Democrat, and many speculate that Mitt Romney will be a contender. Some of the favorable aspects of having Mitt Romney as Secretary of State are his unique take on immigration policies and his experience with the US’s foreign economic proceedings. Mitt Romney is a US senator from Utah, a 2012 Republican Presidential nominee, and a previous MA governor.
When considering the US’ immigration policy, many Republicans are concerned with the impacts of illegal immigration and err towards increasing US border security. Mitt Romney shares these traditional Republican views but also supports legal immigration into the United States. While emphasizing the necessity of their legal counterparts, Romney empathizes with many members of the GOP. He shares, “I respect and welcome those who have followed the law and have made the United States their home. Our nation is stronger and more vibrant by virtue of a strong legal immigration system.”
On the other hand, the current Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, is openly opposed to immigration, as seen in the Refugee Cap Policy set in 2018, which limits the number of refugees that may enter the country each year. Pompeo’s policy aimed “to be consistent with where it was for the current year, after the Trump Administration set it at forty-five thousand—the lowest level since the refugee program began, nearly forty years ago.” If Biden appoints Mitt Romney as his Secretary of State, Romney would be able to implement necessary changes to the US’s current immigration policy and propose to raise the refugee cap. It is simply despicable and outrageous that the US has a lower annual refugee cap than poorer countries like Greece, which accept thousands of refugees a day.
Pro-immigration policies are especially vital because without immigrants, the government locks great minds out of the country just because they were not born here. These policies would also build a respectable immigration reputation in the eyes of fellow first world countries, as opposed to the illegal, dangerous laws that Donald Trump and his campaign have conjured. Further, any act that Mitt Romney draws up has to be approved by Joe Biden, allowing for checks and balances and putting members of both parties at ease.
Republicans are notorious for being more conservative, focusing on the country's foreign and domestic economic interests, while Democrats concentrate more on humanitarian issues. With Mitt Romney in charge of the US’s foreign trade affairs, Joe Biden would not have to worry about the US losing its grip on global trade. On his personal campaign website, Romney writes that he “support[s] free and fair trade with other countries.” In 2012, Romney proposed a foreign aid bill to benefit developing countries by introducing “prosperity pacts'' with them. His campaign website states that “under these agreements, the US will offer aid packages focused on institutional building and rule of law as incentives for developing countries.” The US’s foreign trade business is in good hands with Mitt Romney running the show, as he is a proponent of free and open trade.
The Secretary of State is also able to focus on the US’s domestic economic affairs, which Romney has already proved capable of. This past spring, when millions of Americans faced unemployment due to the pandemic, Romney proposed an economic plan to relieve those citizens by distributing $1,000 cash payments to every American adult. This plan shattered political expectations: the traditional Republican official would put the most effort into transforming the national economy, rather than give substantial funds back to struggling Americans so that they can stay afloat during an unstable time. This is a great asset to Biden, as he has seen that Romney cares a great deal about the economy, but also empathizes with the nation’s general public.
Mitt Romney has demonstrated his ability to be a well-rounded and experienced candidate for the position of Secretary of State. He differs from other Republicans in his willingness to build upon Democratic ideals. Romney’s liberal opinion on immigration, paired with his interest in the nation’s foreign and domestic economic affairs, makes him an effective partner for Joe Biden as a potential Secretary of State.
When considering the US’ immigration policy, many Republicans are concerned with the impacts of illegal immigration and err towards increasing US border security. Mitt Romney shares these traditional Republican views but also supports legal immigration into the United States. While emphasizing the necessity of their legal counterparts, Romney empathizes with many members of the GOP. He shares, “I respect and welcome those who have followed the law and have made the United States their home. Our nation is stronger and more vibrant by virtue of a strong legal immigration system.”
On the other hand, the current Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, is openly opposed to immigration, as seen in the Refugee Cap Policy set in 2018, which limits the number of refugees that may enter the country each year. Pompeo’s policy aimed “to be consistent with where it was for the current year, after the Trump Administration set it at forty-five thousand—the lowest level since the refugee program began, nearly forty years ago.” If Biden appoints Mitt Romney as his Secretary of State, Romney would be able to implement necessary changes to the US’s current immigration policy and propose to raise the refugee cap. It is simply despicable and outrageous that the US has a lower annual refugee cap than poorer countries like Greece, which accept thousands of refugees a day.
Pro-immigration policies are especially vital because without immigrants, the government locks great minds out of the country just because they were not born here. These policies would also build a respectable immigration reputation in the eyes of fellow first world countries, as opposed to the illegal, dangerous laws that Donald Trump and his campaign have conjured. Further, any act that Mitt Romney draws up has to be approved by Joe Biden, allowing for checks and balances and putting members of both parties at ease.
Republicans are notorious for being more conservative, focusing on the country's foreign and domestic economic interests, while Democrats concentrate more on humanitarian issues. With Mitt Romney in charge of the US’s foreign trade affairs, Joe Biden would not have to worry about the US losing its grip on global trade. On his personal campaign website, Romney writes that he “support[s] free and fair trade with other countries.” In 2012, Romney proposed a foreign aid bill to benefit developing countries by introducing “prosperity pacts'' with them. His campaign website states that “under these agreements, the US will offer aid packages focused on institutional building and rule of law as incentives for developing countries.” The US’s foreign trade business is in good hands with Mitt Romney running the show, as he is a proponent of free and open trade.
The Secretary of State is also able to focus on the US’s domestic economic affairs, which Romney has already proved capable of. This past spring, when millions of Americans faced unemployment due to the pandemic, Romney proposed an economic plan to relieve those citizens by distributing $1,000 cash payments to every American adult. This plan shattered political expectations: the traditional Republican official would put the most effort into transforming the national economy, rather than give substantial funds back to struggling Americans so that they can stay afloat during an unstable time. This is a great asset to Biden, as he has seen that Romney cares a great deal about the economy, but also empathizes with the nation’s general public.
Mitt Romney has demonstrated his ability to be a well-rounded and experienced candidate for the position of Secretary of State. He differs from other Republicans in his willingness to build upon Democratic ideals. Romney’s liberal opinion on immigration, paired with his interest in the nation’s foreign and domestic economic affairs, makes him an effective partner for Joe Biden as a potential Secretary of State.
